1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interfitting structure of a connector made of synthetic resin and having an engaging structure of a connector housing and a cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
As this type of connector there is that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No, 7-298450 and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The connector illustrated in FIG. 1 is constituted by a connector housing 2 and a cover 3 whose cross section is horizontally U shaped and which opens and closes a rear surface 2a side of the connector housing 2. On upper and lower surfaces on the rear surface 2a side of the connector housing 2 there are protectively formed a plurality of engaging pawls 4. Also, at the positions, opposed to the respective engaging pawls 4, of upper and lower side portions of the cover 3 there are projectively formed, respectively, square-frame like engaging arms 5 that are engaged with or disengaged from their corresponding respective engaging pawls 4.
And, by engaging the respective engaging arms 5 of the cover 3 with their corresponding respective engaging pawls 4 of the connector housing 2, a wire harness W drawn out from the rear surface 2a of the connector housing 2 is protected by the cover 3.
Also, a connector 1' illustrated in FIG. 2 is constituted by a connector housing 2' and a cover 3' whose cross section is horizontally U shaped and which opens and closes a rear surface 2a side of the connector housing 2'. On upper and lower surfaces on the rear surface 2a side of the connector housing 2' there are protectively formed a plurality of first engaging portions 6. At the positions biased toward one side portion of the upper and lower surfaces there are projectively formed second engaging portions 7 each consisting of a tapered engaging portion 7a and a stopper 7b. Also, at the positions, opposed to the first engaging portions 6, located inside the upper and lower side portions of the cover 3' there are protectively formed, respectively, first engaging portions 8 that are engaged with their corresponding first engaging portions 6. At the positions, opposed to between the tapered engaging portions 7a and their corresponding stoppers 7b of the second engaging portions 7, located inside the upper and lower side portions of the cover 3' there are projectively formed second engaging portions 9 each engaged with and disengaged from between the tapered engaging portion 7a and the stopper 7b and concurrently serving as a stopper.
And, the respective first engaging portions 8 of the cover 3' are inserted in a direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 2 between the respective first engaging portions 6 of the connector housing 2'. Then, the cover 3' is slid in its longitudinal direction (the direction indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 2) to thereby cause the second engaging portions 9 of the cover 3' to be retained by or engaged with between the tapered engaging portions 7a and their corresponding stoppers 7b of the second engaging portions 7. As a result of this, a wire harness not illustrated that has been drawn out from the rear surface 2a of the connector housing 2' is protected by being covered by the cover 3'.
However, the conventional interfitting structure of the conventional connector 1 had the drawback that upon application of an impact force to the cover 3 due to a drop-down or the like the engaging arms 5 of the cover 3 spread outward and as a result the engaging arms 5 were disengaged from the engaging pawls 4 of the connector housing 2 or this impact force was received directly by the engaging arms 5 and as a result the engaging arms 5 were damaged.
Also, although the above-described conventional connector 1' has a high strength against an impact applied thereto at the time of, for example, a down strop as well as against the disengagement, since the stopper 7b of the second engaging portion 7 of the connector housing 2' and the second engaging portion 9 of the cover 3' are not coaxial with the first engaging portion 6 of the connector housing 2' and the first engaging portion 8 of the cover 3', at the time of forming the connector housing 2' and cover 3' by the use of resin the structure of a forming mold becomes complex, followed by an increase in the cost of the connector. On the other hand, since the cover 3' is slid with respect to the connector housing 2' in the letter "L" directions (the arrows A, B indicated directions in FIG. 2) and engaged therewith, the direction in which the wire harness is drawn out is limited with the result that it was difficult to fix the wire harness by the cover 3'.